World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20 every year. The day celebrates the birthday of Anton Jansa, a Slovenian who pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in the 18th century.
The date celebrates the importance of pollination and seeks to raise awareness of the threats bees face. Its aim is to assess its importance for ecosystem balance, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
According to the UN, various bee species are currently facing 100 to 1,000 times the risk of extinction due to human impact on nature.
The theme for 2024 is “Commitment to Bees, Joining Hands with Youth”. It aims to create awareness among youth and other interested parties about the important role of bees and other pollinators in agriculture, ecological balance and biodiversity conservation. By engaging them in beekeeping activities, education efforts, and advocacy efforts, you engage a new generation of environmental leaders to positively impact the world.
World Bee Day was declared on December 20, 2017 by UN General Assembly resolution 72/211.
But why should we care so much about bees?
With advances in the use of pesticides and insecticides, global bee populations have been severely affected. Human life would be practically impossible without these insects, after all, according to the UN, they are responsible for 90% of the world’s wildflowers.
The negative impact of these planting technologies will bring more problems than benefits to the agricultural market. This is because, in addition to the potential side effects of pesticides on humans, they can destroy entire populations of bees and permanently damage crops.
In total, there are more than 25 thousand bees on Earth, distributed on all continents except Antarctica. All of them are essential for maintaining human food security because of their pollination function. Even the smallest plants are pollinated by these winged insects, because there are so many small species that they are rarely seen.
But in addition to crop pollination, bees are also important to food production on a global scale. Because it produces honey and propolis, raw materials for sweets and some natural medicines.